Cash Money Records: Where hip hop goes to die

Busta Rhymes and Mystikal recently joined Cash Money’s roster of up-and-coming sellouts and drowning rap icons making a desperate attempt to resurrect their careers (probably just to make a bit more money so they can leave the game).

Anyway, I felt this was a good opportunity for a review of some of Cash Money‘s top artists to demonstrate the label’s role as a hip hop purgatory:

1. Old timers

Most hip hop fans will have stopped listening to new Busta Rhymes music years ago, and will go on with the memory of his best work in 90’s. Unfortunately, Mystikal will be remembered primarily for Shake Your Ass, but he deserves some positive light, as he clearly had talent and originality. Juvenile will also be forever remembered for an ass song, but he also made some good music, and put Lousiana-brand hip hop on the map. Mannie Fresh doesn’t deserve much respect, but his name has been sort of pervasive throughout hip hop production for the past decade, even if it wasn’t always hip hop at its best, and the same can be said for DJ Khaled. Young Buck is pretty much an embarrassment, but, again, he had talent, and he stabbed the guy who punched Dr. Dre a little while ago. It pains me to see Shyne‘s name on this list, because no self-respecting hip hop fan could ever say anything bad about him, but signing with Cash Money was a bad move, and I’d predict him not being there much longer.

2. POPular rappers

Drake had talent, and I’m convinced he still does, but he took a wrong turn with Cash Money. Financially, it was a good short-term move, but he could have been a lot more in the long term, with better guidance. Nicki Minaj is a great example for women everywhere if you define being a good example by going through an obscene amount of plastic surgery (everything from cheek bones to ass cheeks) and copying the musical style of rappers like Old Dirty Bastard, Busta Rhymes and Lil Kim. Tyga, there just isn’t much to say about, but if there was it would all be negative. Lil Bow wow was sort of fun to listen to when he was younger and Snoop Dogg would be seen with him, but now he’s pretty much a tool. Cory Gunz is ok but he just lives in the shadow of his father, and doesn’t have the talent or real-world experience to measure up. Lil Wayne is a pox on hip hop, but has a few good featured versus, I guess.